I think it was just down to the song, this was a slow love song, more mature song than their previous singles, which probably got it more airplay and appealed to a wider audience than just a hardcore teen fan base.

 

 

Edited November 25, 20159 yr by fiesta

I think the fact that it was a better song (although I prefer Crazy) might have helped and that it was a January release.

 

 

I'm sure Crazy and Sometimes have sold more over time, surely?

no, it was cos of the Jan release

 

think PSB's Heart go to #1 cos it was the follow up to their cover of Always on My Mind, so was like a default #1 following up a massive #1

 

not sure why you´re surprised at Cant Fight the Moonlight, great song, was everywhere, mostly cos of the movie

 

 

Also, I dont know how Pet Shop Boys managed to get Heart to number 1 considering it was the 4th single off an album.

The usual answer to this syndrome and the one in this case is that the track was substantially remixed from the album version.

One thing I don't understand is why so many people were willing to spend their money on Robson & Jerome records, thereby denying iconic songs like 'Common People' and 'Wonderwall' #1 status*

 

*That said, there's something about those records stalling at #2 that fits in a weird way

Moi Lolita was A-listed on Radio 2, that may have been the reason. Also heavy rotation on The Box which was a hitmaking channel back then

 

Yeah The Box had SO much power in the late 90s/early 00s didn't it? They were big on cheesy Euro hits and just being on The Box would get them into the charts. Also the people who ran the channel were friendly with the people at AATW, which is why their stuff always got a lot of support. They even failed to playlist DJ Bobo's Chihuahua because AATW were releasing an inferior Spanish version.

They were definately getting played alot in the clubs i went out to at the time - Children of the night was played every week - must have been because of the remix!

 

Yeah I think it became a bit of a cult hit in the years following its release, so when it got a full re-release there was enough interest for it to chart even without any specific promotion.

One thing I don't understand is why so many people were willing to spend their money on Robson & Jerome records, thereby denying iconic songs like 'Common People' and 'Wonderwall' #1 status*

 

*That said, there's something about those records stalling at #2 that fits in a weird way

I think what Robson & Jerome prove is that they're is a huge untapped audience out there who, if marketed to appropriately, can generate massive revenue. It will always be uncool but it's the same audience that x factor winning singles also appeal too. The music industry seems to be forever embarrassed about this demographic however.

think PSB's Heart go to #1 cos it was the follow up to their cover of Always on My Mind, so was like a default #1 following up a massive #1

 

Is there such a thing with an established act?

Edited November 25, 20159 yr by Cauldron

Something I found interesting was that for three albums in a row the best selling single of Erasure albums wasn't the lead single (as in the first single)

 

A Little Respect outsold Chains of Love and Ship of Fools.

Blue Savanah outsold Drama!

Love to Hate You outsold Chorus.

 

boomkat - the wreckoning only reaching #37 WHY

Actually I'll throw Jason Derulo's 'Cheyenne' in here too - arguably a great pop song, a follow up to a massive #1, had a reasonable amount of airplay, yet hasn't even managed to go Top 100 (or did it just scrape in one week?) Disappointing and baffling.

Although the music video had made a huge impact and it was one of the closest things to mainstream he had ever done, but it was still surprising that Aphex Twin's Windowlicker was able to enter the top 20 (#16).

Oh, and another one - the complete lack of success of Sonny J's Can't Stop Moving. Seemed to be a smash in the making back in 2007 and didn't chart. Another attempt in 2008 got it to #40 at least but still felt underwhelming.

 

This is such a great song, as is Handsfree, one of the follow ups. Maybe it came out at the wrong time, I feel like it would have been bigger in either 2005 (alongside the likes of Shine by Lovefreekz and Strings Of Life by Soul Central) or maybe a few years later (even now it would probably be far better received).

 

Another one that's popped into my head is C'mon Let Me Ride by Skylar Grey and Eminem. Big melodic catchy chorus, an a-list guest feature, copious amounts of innuendo and Skylar had experienced some decent success, albeit as a featured artist, in the year or two preceding. The stars seemed to be aligned and at one point I even thought it might be a No.1...it didn't get any support for some reason and just flopped on its arse. I wonder if the December release date meant it got buried, she should have left it for a few months.

I think what Robson & Jerome prove is that they're is a huge untapped audience out there who, if marketed to appropriately, can generate massive revenue. It will always be uncool but it's the same audience that x factor winning singles also appeal too. The music industry seems to be forever embarrassed about this demographic however.

 

And Simon Cowell understood that so well - he's based XF on this sort of act!

Yeah I think it became a bit of a cult hit in the years following its release, so when it got a full re-release there was enough interest for it to chart even without any specific promotion.

 

Sound Bluntz version of Billie Jean was similar in 2002 - charted at 32 just from heavy club plays (I got the cd myself)!

A couple of other surprising biggies:

 

Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire was a bit of a shock when it first reached #1, considering its first week at #1 was just on downloads (physicals were still significant then) and the band had never previously had a top 10 hit.

 

Clean Bandit - Rather Be was another shock (managing the highest 1-week January sale since 1996), as the band's previous hit had missed the top 40 (and they were not on the Sound Of... list that year).

I remember being very surprised at Ed Sheeran's 'The A Team' debuting as high as #3, of course he would very soon become a huge name but at the time it didn't seem like he'd got THAT far beyond the online hype that got him to the top 50 with the No. 5 Collaborations Project EP.

I convinced myself that Wiley's 'Take That' was going to be the first number 1 single of 2010. It got nowhere near - think it just squeezed into the top 20.

 

Mega disappointed when I bought the CD single though and the radio edit had been completely butchered, cutting out most of the first minute of this video edit which is the best part of the song:

 

 

And this one! J Majik & Wickaman's 'Crazy World' - no video ever made for it, no CD single released (only physical was a 12") yet managed to reach top 40 in summer 2008. Today I think this would be a massive #1 on Nobody To Love levels, but sadly released a few years too early.

 

Edited November 26, 20159 yr by BillyH

I was shocked when I found out how low 'Crazy World' peaked, I'm sure I remember hearing it a lot at the time. Great song.

 

(Also thought 'Take That' was going to be much bigger than it ended up being :()